


You can call me 'babe'...

by cozypancakes



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Blowjobs, Dirty Talk, Holiday Season, Humor, M/M, Non-Penetrative Sex, Romance, Smut in ch 2, oblivious Jeff, somewhere around season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:53:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28124925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cozypancakes/pseuds/cozypancakes
Summary: An old flame from Craig's past shows up for the holidays at Greendale. Jeff's jealousy quickly rears it's head and Craig may find himself in the middle of a Hallmark-esque love triangle this Christmas.
Relationships: Dean Craig Pelton/Jeff Winger
Comments: 19
Kudos: 51





	1. For the weekend

**Author's Note:**

> Who wants to take bets that I can actually wrap this up in 3 chapters and not let it get ahead of itself?? Hint: this was original supposed to be around 8k words so that's clearly not happening.

“No running with the menorah! Especially when it’s lit!” 

Jeff turned to see the Dean yelling at someone down the hall. He casually walked up behind him, standing an inch apart. He looked down at the top of Craig’s head and said, “I thought holidays were cancelled.” 

The Dean jumped a foot in the air and spun around to look at Jeff. Jeff watched him look at him up and down not realizing how close they were. The Dean had to crane his neck to look Jeff in the eye. He took two quick steps back and pulled at his tie. “I, um,” the Dean mumbled. Jeff fought back a smirk at seeing the Dean flustered simply by being near Jeff. “Holidays, right,” the Dean finally said. “Trying to get people to celebrate the non denominational time of season seemed impossible. It actually made a few more crazy about the festivities. So this year we’re doing the complete opposite!”

“Shoving holiday cheer down people’s throats,” Jeff asked. He looked around pointedly at the odd mix of traditional Christmas mixed with menorahs, dreidel, champagne, and baby New Year’s. And that was just in this one hallway. 

“Exactly!” the Dean said happily. He either didn’t notice Jeff’s sarcasm or he chose to ignore it. Jeff could never really tell. “What do you think?” he asked, moving to stand next to Jeff and look out admiringly at the decorations. Jeff took a moment to consider. Not the decoration, but the Dean standing near him. He looked genuinely happy and proud. To be honest, the holiday cheer always seemed forced to Jeff. Just because it was December didn’t mean everyone’s problems magically went away. More often than not, the cheer was fake and a coping mechanism.

But he also didn’t have to be an asshole and bring everyone down with him. He opened his mouth to say the decoration looked nice but someone spoke up before him. 

“Wow,” a voice behind them said. Jeff and the Dean turned to look at who was speaking. “This looks amazing, Craig.” Jeff had never seen this woman before. She was about Craig’s height, with dark hair and light brown skin. She wore a stylish, red coat that fit snugly against her large body. Jeff raised an eyebrow at the very real knee-length, leather boots she was wearing. No one with that kind of money ever showed up at Greendale. 

He looked over at the Dean to get a clue of who this person was and had to do a double take. Craig was standing frozen to his spot, a look of sheer awe and surprise on his face. 

“Leslie,” the Dean breathed out. Jeff furrowed his eyebrows. The Dean usually reserved that hushed, reverent tone for him. 

“Hi Craig,” Leslie said. Jeff looked between the two of them. “It’s been a while.” 

* * *

Leslie Dessner. That was her name. She grew up with the Dean and had gone off to New York for college and never returned. She was a model for high end magazines but photography was her true passion. She didn’t feel fulfilled by the modeling gig. The money would be good whenever someone needed a plus size model, since there were so few who’d had a chance to break out in the business. But Leslie was working hard to be taken seriously as a photographer. She did the occasional wedding gig here and there. Soon she’d get her big break at a more artistic project. 

At least, that’s what the Dean claimed when he remembered Jeff was standing two feet from him. He’d then disappeared with Leslie, to give her a tour of Greendale. The tour was taking an abnormally long time. It was lunch and Jeff had a clear view of them on the other side of the cafeteria. 

“So that’s the Dean’s friend,” Shirley said. Everyone else at the table turned immediately to look at the pair. Jeff rolled his eyes and then returned to watching the Dean. 

“Wow, she’s gorgeous,” Annie said. 

“I hear she’s, um,  _ a model _ ,” Shirley said. 

Jeff gave her a confused look. “Why do you say it like that?”

“Well, she lives in New York,” Shirley said seriously. “You know what models have to go through to get gigs.”

“She’s from New York?” Britta piped in. “She’s gotta be cool then.”

“The red coat and boots are pretty fancy,” Troy agreed. 

The group watched as the Dean said something and did exaggerated hand movements. Leslie laughed at whatever he was saying and pushed his shoulder lightly. And, goddammit, the Dean actually blushed. Leslie’s hand landed back on the Dean’s shoulder and stayed there. 

“I thought…” Shirley began. 

“Isn’t the Dean…” Annie tried to continue. 

“You know,” Troy added. 

Jeff let out a sigh. “Gay?” he supplied. There were murmurs of agreement all around them.

“Isn’t he?” Pierce piped up. 

“I don’t know,” Jeff mumbled. He was thinking back to the comments the Dean had made about Michelle and the occasional looks he sent Britta’s way. And the most glaring piece of evidence that was right in front of him. The Dean’s uncontrollable blush and eyes that followed all of Leslie’s movements as if she was some kind of fairy on Earth. 

“Well, if he’s not gay, then what is he?” Pierce asked loudly. 

The Dean turned to look over at the table. Jeff met his eyes for half a second before looking down at his salad. “Pierce, shut up,” Jeff growled. 

“What?” Pierce asked obliviously. 

After a few more moments, Annie and Shirley peaked back up at the two across the room. Jeff couldn’t help himself but join them. They had grabbed some ice cream. The Dean ate a spoonful and a smudge of the vanilla ice cream was left on the side of his mouth. As if reading Jeff’s mind, Leslie reached out and wiped the ice cream from the Dean’s face. Without a pause, she licked her own finger clean. Jeff could hear the Dean’s brain short circuiting from over here. 

“They look cute together,” Annie commented. 

“Hmm,” Shirley hummed. “The Dean looks happy.” 

“Please, she’ll be gone in a few days,” Jeff commented sourly. 

* * *

A few days turned into the rest of the semester at Greendale. Leslie was on campus every. Freaking. Day. It seemed like everywhere he turned he’d bump into the two of them. And no, Jeff wasn’t even watching them anymore. They’d gotten boring to watch after a while. They were so absorbed in each other that it made Jeff sick to be around such a sappy and doomed storyline. Jeff was more than relieved for the semester to be over. 

At least, he was until they ran into each other at the mall. Annie and Shirley had dragged him there to do some holiday shopping. It was crowded and loud and full of the holiday cheer that smothered the air like bad perfume. So when Shirley pointed out the couple- no, not couple, just two people hanging out together - Jeff’s mood was already so low that it nearly plummeted to the ground. 

“Dean! Hi!” Annie yelled out before Jeff could stop her. The Dean and Leslie turned around. They both waved and started to make their way over. The Dean wasn’t wearing his usual unflattering, pale yellow shirts. He was in a soft blue sweater that complemented his complexion and black jeans that were much tighter than his slacks ever were. Next to him was Leslie in her knee high boots, long sleeve, black dress and a scarf that so happened to match the Dean’s sweater. 

“Hi everyone,” the Dean greeted them. “Doing some holiday shopping?” 

“Yup,” Annie said. “You find any good deals?”

“Oh, some stuff for the family,” Craig said. 

“And Craig found this gorgeous, shimmery green dress,” Leslie added. She lightly bumped her shoulder against the Dean. “He’s gonna look great in it.”

Oh, Jeff thought. She knew about that side of the Dean. Jeff knew the Dean would be blushing before it appeared on his cheeks. 

“Where’d you get it?” Shirley asked. “I need something new for New Year’s Eve with the in-laws.”

“It’s right around the corner,” Leslie said. “I saw this gorgeous red number that you would look amazing in.” 

“Oh, that’s nice,” Shirley said. 

And suddenly Annie, Shirley and Leslie had disappeared into the shop. The Dean and Jeff stood in awkward silence for a moment. 

“So, did you find anything Jeffrey,” Craig asked. 

“No,” he responded quickly. He was annoyed. And he had reason to be annoyed. Jeff greatly enjoyed shopping but he usually avoided it during the holidays. The Dean’s face fell for a moment. And he looked away, back towards where Leslie had gone. “I, uh,” Jeff started, having no idea where he was going with this, “Need a shirt.” 

“A shirt?” the Dean asked.

“Yeah, a new dress shirt,” Jeff said. “For the holidays and stuff.”

“Oh, well, I could- I mean, Banana Republic is right over there, if you want…”

“Yeah, sure,” Jeff replied. The Dean’s face broke out into a smile.

“Let’s go,” he said. Jeff tried not to smile. It was just the Dean being his usual, cheery self. But he’d seen so little of the Dean this last week that Jeff had almost forgotten his bubbly, easy go personality. 

Banana Republic was crowded which meant the sales were worthwhile but that they had to navigate family’s and stressed out employees. Jeff hung back as the Dean shuffled through a rack of dress shirts. 

“What color were you thinking off?” the Dean asked. 

“Blue,” Jeff said, without thinking. It was fine though. The Dean hardly seemed to take note of his color preference. 

“Something like this?” the Dean asked. He pulled out a navy blue shirt and held it up to Jeff’s chest. He titled his head this way and that. 

“Does it not look good?” Jeff baited. 

The Dean rolled his eyes. “Jeffrey, you look good in anything.” The compliment rolled so easy off the Dean’s tongue. “I just don’t know if it’s festive enough.”

“I’m not really the festive type,” Jeff pointed out. 

“I know,” the Dean said. He turned around and rifled through the shirts again. “But you have plenty of blue shirts.” 

“Do I?” Jeff teased. He was pleased to see the tips of Craig’s ears turn red. 

“Something like this would be nice,” he said. He held up a dark green shirt. “The right color without being too obvious,” Jeff looked down at the shirt. The color was decent. “Or….this!” The Dean held up a burgundy shirt next. 

“Yeah, alright,” Jeff admitted. “Those might be good.” 

“Try them on,” the Dean encouraged. Jeff looked over at the line outside of the dressing rooms. He was not about to suffer through that long line. Without another thought, Jeff took off his shirt. “Jeffrey!” Craig exclaimed. Jeff hardly batted an eye. He took the burgundy shirt from Craig’s hand and put it on. Leaving it unbuttoned, he took the few steps to the nearest mirror. 

“What do you think?” Jeff asked, turning back to Craig. And there it was. That look that Craig’s mind was having trouble forming words. Jeff hadn’t seen that look in a while. The Dean blinked a few times, trying to collect himself. 

“I-I think you have to button it up, to get a sense for the fit.”

“I know my fit perfectly well,” Jeff said. He took off the shirt and threw it over Craig’s extended arm. “Let me try the other one,” Jeff said. The Dean silently handed Jeff over the green shirt, eyes glued to Jeff’s bare chest. And since the Dean was so distracted, Jeff had no problem letting a smirk play on his lips. 

He admired himself in the mirror. The color looked good on him. Jeff didn’t really need a new dress shirt. He had plenty. But it was the first thing that had popped into his head. If he hadn’t said something, Craig would’ve gone off with the girls and left Jeff all alone. This way he could have the Dean’s undivided attention for a few minutes. And that was worth it even if he had to buy a shirt now. 

“It looks nice,” the Dean said. Jeff glanced over at the Dean’s reflection in the mirror. 

“Not usually my color scheme,” Jeff admitted. 

Jeff watched closely as the Dean reached up to straighten the shirt’s collar. His hand then casually ran down Jeff’s shoulder blades, smoothing out invisible wrinkles. Jeff stood perfectly still, watching the Dean. His hand came to rest on his upper arm. The touch was familiar and warm. 

“Change can be good,” the Dean said. “And it’s the holidays after all. A little festive spirit won’t kill you.” 

“You don’t know that,” Jeff joked, “One year Shirley shoved so many cookies down my throat I almost puked.” 

“Well, if the shirt magically comes to life and strangles you, I take full responsibility.”

Jeff turned to look down at the Dean. “I’m gonna need that in writing,” Jeff said. He inwardly cringed. He hadn’t meant for his voice to get all deep when he said that. And by the pink tinge on the Dean’s face, it hadn’t gone unnoticed. 

If this were a date-wait, what? No, this wasn’t a date. This wasn't even a hanging out session. This was a complete accident. They randomly bumped into each other at the mall, during one of the busiest times of the year. Why was Jeff’s mind even going down that road? Who cared that if this were a date, this would be the moment he gently copper their face, leaned down and-

“There you are!” 

Jeff and the Dean looked up at the voice. How long had they been standing there, staring at each other? And why was his hand half up in the air? Jeff cleared his throat in hopes that would hide the grimace he made when Leslie showed up. 

“Annie, you were right. Banana Republic was the place to be,” Leslie said. 

“Trust me, if you knew Jeff it wouldn’t be that hard to guess,” Annie replied.

Jeff would have added a quick retort but then Leslie linked arms with Craig and Jeff forgot his train of thought. 

“Ready to head out, babe?” Leslie asked. 

“Sure thing,” Craig replied easily. 

Babe? Seriously? Babe? She’d been here, what? A week? Since when was babe a casual term you used on anyone who you weren’t-

“Here you go, Jeffrey,” Craig said, handing over the burgundy shirt and Jeff’s original shirt. “I like them both, though the green is my favorite. You should get one, at least.”

Jeff gave a grunt of acknowledgement to that. Again, his witty retorts were unable to get out through the lump in his throat. Craig’s smile faltered but it was back before Jeff could speak up. 

“I’ll see you all around then,” he said to Shirley and Annie. “Happy holidays!” 

“Happy holidays!” 

“Bye Leslie!” Annie waved. She then spun around to look at Jeff. “Are you gonna wait in line? Cause there’s this really cute sweater I’ve been eyeing all month and if you’re already gonna lineup then…”

Jeff blinked at Annie, caught off guard by the change in conversation. “Yeah, sure,” Jeff agreed easily. 

“I’ll be back!” Annie said happily and disappeared. 

“Are you gonna wear that out?” Shirley asked sweetly. 

“What? Oh, yeah, why not,” Jeff said. No point in taking it off now. He followed Shirley to the back of the very long line. 

“I found my dress,” Shirley said. 

“Good,” Jeff replied. He was in a mood all of a sudden, but he tried his best to listen to what Shirley was saying. 

“Leslie should be a stylist-” lovely, more Leslie talk, “-she knew my taste and size. And she seemed to know the store like the back of her hand even though she’s from out of town.” 

“Great,” Jeff mumbled. 

“I got to know a lot about here while we shopped,” Shirley added. “She grew up here, obviously. Her and the Dean went to the same high school.”

“Oh,” Jeff said, turning to look at Shirley. 

“Yes,” Shirley added, a weird look on her face. “They dated.”

The weird block in his throat was back. Jeff looked away from Shirley. 

“The way she talked about the Dean...sounds like she cares about him a lot. They’ve been spending a lot of time together these past couple days. Apparently, she hadn’t been back here in a couple years so they had a lot to catch up on. She says she likes how easy it is to be around the Dean, who know? How he’s so nice and genuine. Very different from all the men she dates in the City, her words not mine,” Shirley added at his raised eyebrow. 

“No offense, Shirley, but I really don’t care about the epic love story that is the Dean and Leslie,” Jeff said in a monotone. 

“Oh, I don’t believe that,” Shirley said. She said it in her sweet voice so it took Jeff a second to process her words. 

“What?”

“You don’t like Leslie,” Shirley pointed out. 

“I-well, no, I guess I don’t,” Jeff admitted. 

“Why is that?”

Jeff shrugged uncomfortably. He knew Shirley understood him better than anyone which was why he was scrambling to come with a reasonable explanation to throw her off track. “She’s pretentious,” Jeff said. 

“How would you know that?” Shirley challenged in her regular tone. “You haven’t even talked to her!”

“She comes off as pretentious,” Jeff amended. 

“You want to know what I think?”

“No, but you’re going to tell me anyway,” Jeff said. Shirley swatted his arm. 

“I think you’re jealous,” Shirley said simply. 

“Jealous of who? The Dean? If I turned on the charm there’s no way I couldn’t get with someone like Leslie,” Jeff argued. 

“Jeff, do not insult me,” Shirley said. “You’re not jealous of the Dean in that way. You’re jealous that someone has come into the Dean’s life who takes his full and undivided attention.” 

“Shirley, please, I am relieved to have some time without the Dean around.”

“Right, which is why you two were making googly eyes at each other a few minutes ago.”

“Googly eyes?”

“And why you glare daggers at Leslie whenever she’s around. I’ve been watching you, Jeffrey.”

“Stalker much, ow!”

“You know the last time you acted like this?” 

“Shirley-”

“Rich, that’s when. You got all dark and angry whenever Rich was around especially when he had eyes for Annie.” 

“There is nothing going on between me and Annie!”

“Good,” Shirley said. “But what about the Dean?”

“Shirley, are you listening to yourself? There is nothing between me and the Dean,” Jeff stated. 

“I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

“With exasperation, impatience, confusion-”

“Oh, there’s definitely confusion there,” Shirley interrupted. Jeff groaned; he’d walked into that one. “Especially when the Dean is in one of his costumes. When you aren’t completely avoiding looking in his direction, you’re appraising him.”

“Appraising?” Jeff asked. 

“You know what I mean, checking him out!”

“Shirley, I can assure you, I do not  _ appraise _ the Dean,” Jeff defended himself. 

“Leslie thinks so,” Shirley said.

Jeff knew it was a trap. Or a test. It was something and Jeff should not rise to the bait. 

But he did. 

“What did Leslie say?” Jeff bit out. 

“She asked if there was anything going on between you two,” Shirley said, victoriously. 

“And what did you say?”

“I didn’t say much,” Shirley said. “If you’re gonna make your move, it’s better if she’s not expecting it.”

“Make my move? Shirley, have you lost your mind?”

“Jeffrey, I know you. And I know you are not mature enough to control your bursts of jealousy. One of these days, you are going to see them together and you’re going to snap and do something stupid.”

“I’m not dignifying this conversation with a response anymore,” Jeff said. He stared ahead as the line slowly inched forward another step. He crossed his arms over his chest, very aware that he was wrinkling his shirts. His foot began to tap against the floor. Could this line be any slower? Jeff sighed and shifted his weight to the other foot. Someone coughed behind them. He should let it go. Put it out of his mind and move on. The entire notion that he wanted something with the Dean was completely unfounded. 

“And for the record,” Jeff said, turning back to Shirley, “if I wanted the Dean, I’d have the Dean. Leslie or no Leslie, I don’t have competition.” 

Jeff turned back to stare at the register in the distance. He could feel Shirley’s eyes on him. She was radiating victory. Jeff should have kept his stupid mouth shut. Now they were stuck there with his declaration hanging over the air for the next 15 minutes. 


	2. Or...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff makes his move on Craig in the middle of a Post-Christmas Party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! Literally 12:00:15 as I finished the last edit on this chapter so I'm still considering this my last work for 2020. Hope you all enjoy!

Jeff had put the whole, ridiculous conversation with Shirley behind him. He really had. He was even a bit proud of himself for not making fun of Shirley for such a ridiculous idea. Him and the Dean? Preposterous. Inconceivable. Unrealistic. Non-sense. 

And yet… 

What other explanation was there for the white hot rage that filled his chest right then? 

He was frozen outside his door, one foot in the hall. Leslie and Craig were in the hallway. Craig was wearing one of his floral bathrobes and Leslie was wearing a shirt and skirt that had definitely been worn for more than a day. 

“Oh, Jeffrey,” Craig finally noticed him. “Morning.” 

Jeffrey managed something like a grunt. He didn’t make a move to leave or go back to his apartment. Leslie and Craig stared at him for a second before awkwardly turning back to each other. 

“See you later then?” Leslie asked. Craig nodded numbly. Leslie leaned over and kissed his cheek. Jeff gripped the doorframe harder. She glanced back at him before disappearing down the hall. 

Jeff stared at the spot where she had disappeared. Craig’s little cough brought him back to reality. 

“Everything alright,” Craig asked slowly.

Jeff met his eyes and bluntly said, “I don’t like her.”

“Leslie?” Craig asked, shocked. “What did she do?” 

Jeff moved away from his door to stand near Craig. He reached up and rubbed the smudge of red lipstick off his cheek. He pulled his hand back from Craig’s warm cheek and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He shrugged lightly at Craig’s question. “Just don’t,” he mumbled. 

Craig let out a sigh as he leaned a shoulder against his doorframe. “Is this why you’ve been weird the last week or so?” 

“I haven’t been weird,” Jeff said defensively. 

“Alright, fine, you haven’t been weird,” Craig gave in. “Though Annie invited us to the post-Christmas gathering...”

“Oh, so you’re an ‘us’ now?” 

Craig ducked his head. “Well, no, obviously not,” he mumbled. 

“Do you…” Jeff paused. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask. Craig looked up at him and tilted his head to the side in question. “Do you want there to be?” 

Craig gave a sad smile. “That’s-I’m not sure. No? I mean, if you’d asked me that any of the other times Leslie has come back home, it would be an obvious yes. She’s...amazing. And I know you don’t like her,” Craig added, patting his arm, “But she really is. She’s known me forever and is one of the few people who accepts me for...me. She sent me over makeup tutorials and helped me accessorize when I put outfits together. She’s my closest friend and when she’s here, I see how we could work romantically.” Craig looked off down the hall with a wistful expression. He looked back at Jeff and gave a light shrug. “But things change. Now, I’m happy to enjoy the time we have together.”

Jeff swallowed past the lump in his throat. He leaned against the doorframe inches from Craig. “What’s different this time?” 

Craig looked up at him. He noticed the light blush that covered Craig’s cheeks and the bridge of his nose. They were pretty close together at that point. “I, uh, I guess I...hopelessly fell for someone else that’s equally unattainable.”

“Sounds like you have a type,” Jeff commented. He could hear his heart beat in his ears. His hands were sweaty. 

“Yeah, that’s what my therapist keeps telling me,” Craig commented. 

As casually as he could, Jeff glanced up at the doorframe above them. “Uh,” he said. He stared at the mistletoe for a few seconds. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to happen next. 

“Oh, right, that,” Craig said. “I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit and all that.” 

Jeff looked back down at Craig. He hoped his face didn’t show how nervous he was. “Isn’t this the point where you kiss me then?” 

Craig’s blush turned three shades darker at that. He opened his mouth and then promptly closed it again. With a determined look on his face, Craig gently reached up towards Jeff and gave him a small peck on the cheek. He moved away instantly, face still red and looking at Jeff as if he were a ticking bomb. 

Jeff should have left it at that. And maybe if he didn’t have the image of Leslie leaving this very apartment in the wee hours of the morning he could have. But instead, Jeff moved to cup Craig’s face with his hands and leaned down till their lips touched. Craig let out a small noise of surprise as Jeff slowly moved his lips against Craig’s. They were soft and warm. Craig’s hands came up to rest on Jeff’s wrists. For a second, Jeff feared he’d pull away but they stayed there, gripping him firmly. The words ‘life changing kiss’ floated through Jeff’s head as he slowly pulled away. 

Anxiety hit him like a bucket of ice as soon as the moment was over. He took two steps back from Craig’s warm body. Looking somewhere over Craig’s shoulder, he said, “I’ll see you at the post-Christmas party.” And then he fled into his apartment. 

* * *

“Why is Starburns here?” Jeff grumbled. He was hidden away in the kitchen. No, actually, he was simply keeping Shirley company. He was not hiding from the “couple” in the living room. 

Shirley opened his mouth to answer but then Abed appeared next to them and said, “Troy invited Leonard.”

Jeff and Shirley looked at Abed for another moment. When it was clear no more was forthcoming, Jeff prompted “And that led to Starburns how?” 

“Troy invited Leonard. Garrett was right there so he had to extend the invitation. Garrett insisted on bringing Stacey. Stacey brought Vicky. Vicky brought Neil, at which point Annie’s urge to please everyone took over and she invited most of Greendale. Luckily only a few of them showed up.” 

Jeff nodded along. He didn’t really care that Starburns was there. But he was annoyed so it was the easiest person to take his frustrations out on without having Shirley on his case. He let his eyes wander around the room. Magnitude was in the middle of an elaborate dance off with Troy. Britta was hastily hiding a piece of a broken vase or dish under a cushion. And Annie was in deep conversation with Craig and Leslie. 

“Jeffrey, are you listening?” 

Jeff startled and turned back to look at Shirley. “Sorry, what was that?” 

“I said that’s a very lovely shirt on you,” Shirley commented. Reflexively, Jeff looked down. It was the dark green one Craig had favored. He could feel his cheeks heating up at the reminder of why he’d worn the shirt to begin with. Though there was always the possibility that Shirley hadn’t heard or didn’t remember Craig’s comments. When his eyes met hers again, Jeff knew she remembered. 

He gave a casual shrug. “Better than a Christmas sweater and all that.” 

“Really? I think the Dean looks really nice in his Christmas sweater, don’t you think?”

He shouldn’t look. It wasn’t like Jeff didn’t have the image memorized by then. But despite his best efforts, Jeff effortlessly found Craig on the other side of the small apartment. He was wearing a green sweater with a traditional Christmas pattern in red and white, though untraditional cartoonish T-Rex’s in the middle with Santa hats on. 

He did not look adorable and the oversized sweater did not make Jeff want to dwarf Craig with his own size. 

Shirley’s piercing gaze brought Jeff out of his mind, which was wandering down a path of what Craig would look like in the morning with that sweater and no pants. She had that look all mom’s do when they know you were thinking about something you shouldn’t be. 

“Have I mentioned how wonderful you look tonight, Shirley?” Jeff said. It was a deflection but it was also true. She had a vibrant, red blouse paired with a shimmery grey cardigan that screamed the holidays. 

“Why thank you, Jeffrey,” Shirley said in her sweet voice. “Now what happened between you and the Dean?”

Jeff blushed. “Nothing,” he whispered, glancing over at Craig. Their eyes met for a moment before Jeff looked away. Of course Shirley had seen that exchange. Jeff let out a deep sigh. “We kissed,” he whispered again. 

“What?” Shirley asked excitedly. Jeff shushed her and glanced out the kitchen window. No one was looking their way. Shirley lowered her voice. “When? Where? How was it?” 

Jeff rolled his eyes but answered. “Outside his apartment. A few days ago. And it was…” It was amazing. Jeff could hardly think about anything else but the kiss (and other more explicit fantasies). He cleared his throat and continued, “It was good.”

“What does this mean?” 

“I...I don’t know. I kinda ran away right after it happened,” Jeff admitted. 

“Jeffrey,” Shirley scolded him. “You should go talk to him.”

“Talk to who?”

Shirley and Jeff startled as they looked up at Troy. All further train of thought halted then. Troy was covered in mismatched wrapping paper and random bows from head to toe. There was a red bow perfectly placed on the top of Troy’s head. 

“Why?” Jeff asked, gesturing to all of Troy. 

“I lost a bet with Magnitude,” Troy answered. “Can I get some more paper cups? We’re gonna start a beer pong tournament.” 

“Oh, sure,” Shirley said. She passed Troy the packet of paper cups and watched him scoot out of the kitchen as the wrapping paper held his legs closely together. Everyone was concentrating around the dining table. Jeff’s eye caught Craig’s bald head making his way to the bathroom. 

He was going to play it off and act interested in the beer pong game. But then Shirley jabbed her elbow into his side and made a very obvious head gesture towards the bathroom. Jeff rolled his eyes but it was all the push he needed. He casually strolled off to the bathroom. 

It wasn’t until he was standing outside the door that Jeff realized that he had no idea what he should say. He knew what he wanted. That had become painfully clear over the past few days. He wanted Craig. And not just physically, though that was a big part of it. He actually wanted to date Craig...Now that was new for Jeff. 

The door opened and Jeff was faced with the man who’d been consuming his every waking thought. 

“Jeffrey,” Craig breathed out. Damn, his name always sounded good on those lips.

“We should talk,” Jeff said. 

“Now?”

“Sure why not.” Without giving it much thought, he pushed Craig back into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. 

“Jeffrey, there are people out there,” Craig said. 

Jeff raised an eyebrow and smirked down at Craig. “We’re just talking, Craig. Nothing wrong with that. What?” 

Craig was looking at him as if he’d grown another head. “You called me Craig,” he said, shocked. 

“I’ve called you by your name before,” Jeff reasoned. 

“Never without being prompted,” Craig pointed out. 

“Yeah, well, we kissed. It felt weird to refer to you as the Dean after that.” 

“Refer to me? Have you...have you been thinking about me?” Craig asked. 

Jeff looked at Craig who was standing much farther away than he normally did. There was no innuendo or hopeful tone to his comment. If anything, Craig looked like he was trapped. Like being in a locked bathroom with Jeff, talking about kissing, was not where he wanted to be. 

“Yeah, I have been,” Jeff admitted. He watched as Craig swallowed and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Have you?” he asked, taking a few steps towards Craig. 

“Have I what? Thought of you?” Craig looked nervously up at him. “I’ve been thinking of you for years now. The question should be why you all of a sudden-”

“I don’t think it was all of a sudden,” Jeff cut him off. 

Craig did an exaggerated eye roll. “Please, Jeffrey. You’ve never been mean about it, but you’ve certainly never reciprocated any of my advances.”

“I am expertly skilled at ignoring my feelings and running away from relationships.”

“Now you have feelings for me? What is this? What’s happening? I’ve done nothing different yet - oh…” Craig’s face shifted from frustrated to resignation. His shoulders slumped and he leaned against the wall. “This is all jealousy.”

Jeff’s shoulders tensed. “What if it is?”

“Jeffrey,” Craig complained. He hid his face in his hands for a moment. When he looked up at Jeff, he said, “You don’t have feelings for me. You just don’t like that I’m paying attention to someone else.”

“Why can’t it be both things? Or one having triggered the other? What if the jealousy made me realize I have feelings for you?” There was a knock on the door and someone jiggling the doorknob. “Occupied!” Jeff yelled at the door before turning back to Craig. He was shaking his head no. “Why are you dismissing this?” 

“Because Jeffrey! I can’t give in to whatever this is,” Craig groaned, gesturing at Jeff. “Once the holidays are over and we’re back to our everyday routine, you’ll get bored or realize it was just warped jealousy and then what? Who’ll be there to catch me from a bone crushing fall?”

“I told you. I’m not looking for a holiday tryst like  _ other people _ . I can offer you more. I  _ want  _ to offer you more. You think I don’t realize this would be something? Why do you think it took something as powerful as seeing you with Leslie to make me realize my feelings for you? I had unconsciously buried them so deep because I knew that something with you would be more. And now I want that. I may not be entirely ready for it but I’m willing to try, Craig. That’s what I’m offering.” 

Jeff stood his ground, watching as all different emotions passed through Craig’s face. “I...I don’t know.” 

“You don’t know because you don’t have feelings for me or because you’re scared?”

Craig let out a huff of frustration. “Of course I have feelings for you Jeffrey! I’ve known you for nearly four years now. And I know exactly what you’re capable of.”

“What am I capable of? When have you seen me break someone’s heart?”

“Ugh, let’s see, shall we? Britta and Slater? And then Annie? Britta again?” 

“Slater dumped me first,” Jeff clarified. “Britta, okay, yeah, I fucked up on that one. And the whole start to the second year with Britta and Annie, yeah, I was an asshole then too.”

“See!”

“But!” Jeff interrupted. “You said it yourself. You’ve known me for four years. At Greendale, no less. I’ve already reached human garbage level. And yet...you still have feelings for me. Doesn’t that say...something?” Craig chewed on his bottom lip, glancing between Jeff and the floor. “Look, I...at least consider it?”

“Consider what exactly? What are you offering?” Craig asked earnestly. And Jeff believed the question was serious. But Craig’s eyes betrayed him and glanced down at Jeff’s chest. 

Jeff took another small step towards Craig. “Whatever you want,” Jeff answered honestly, though a bit seductively. Craig had to crane his head back to keep eye contact with Jeff. This was the part where Jeff was supposed to leave and give Craig time to think things through. And that’s what he would do. Though a small part of him had hoped that Craig would do something...more. 

He waited a few more moments, but nothing happened. Jeff was about to move away when Craig suddenly reached out to grab his face and pull him down. The kiss was rough and clumsy at first. Jeff wrapped his arms around Craig’s waist, pulling him against his body and making it easier for Craig to reach him. Jeff followed Craig’s lead with the kiss. Craig bit his bottom lip and ran his hands up into Jeff’s hair. They stumbled back until Jeff’s back hit the edge of the sink. Craig licked over Jeff’s lip and Jeff eagerly parted his lips. Craig’s little moan when their tongues met was electrifying. He moved his hands over Craig’s back, feeling the muscles contract under his touch. Craig moaned again and it made his mind go blank for a second. His hands ran down Craig’s back until they cupped Craig’s ass. The sound that elicited from Craig went straight to Jeff’s dick. 

“This-is-a-horrible idea,” Craig panted in between kisses. 

Jeff firmly grabbed Craig’s ass and pushed his hips against his own. He could feel the outline of an erection through the layers of clothing. “Do you want to continue?” Jeff asked. 

“Yes,” Craig responded instantly. Jeff moved his hands from Craig’s ass to grip the backs of his thighs and in one smooth motion turned them around so Craig was seated on the edge of the sink. There was screaming and chanting from outside the bathroom but Jeff only took notice of it for a second before Craig’s tongue was in his mouth again. His hands moved to unbutton Craig’s pants. “Jeffrey,” Craig moaned against his lips. Jeff’s hand wrapped around Craig’s erection. If Craig had been loud before, now he was constantly whimpering and moaning. 

“You have to be quieter than that,” Jeff said. 

Craig bit down on his bottom lip but as soon as Jeff thumbed at the head of his cock, his mouth was hanging open again. “Shit, sorry, I- ugh, Jeffrey…”

“Don’t apologize,” Jeff said. He moved to Craig’s neck and kissed and nipped at the soft skin there. “Under different circumstances, I’d love to see how loud you can get.” Craig whimpered under him, nails biting into Jeff’s shoulders. “But I’d rather not have all of Greendale also hear it.” 

“I-I swear, I’m trying,” Craig said. He was quiet for two seconds before letting out a gasp. “Shit, usually a gag does the trick.” Jeff lifted his head to look at Craig. He raised an eyebrow.

“How about a tie?” 

Craig’s eyes widened at the suggestion, fingers already reaching out for the material. “Isn’t this expensive?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jeff said. He moved back half an inch to undo his tie. There was another knock on the door. “Occupied,” both Jeff and Craig yelled without breaking eye contact. Jeff wrapped the tie around Craig, making sure it covered his mouth and was tied securely behind his head. The muffled moan he got when he gave a final tug assured him it wasn’t too tight. Jeff looked at Craig sitting on the sink, dick out, and a tie wrapped around his head was doing all sorts of things to Jeff. He took Craig’s hand and tapped on his wrist. “Two taps means yes, one tap means no. Got it?” Craig nodded eagerly and tapped on Jeffrey’s shoulder twice. “Good,” Jeff said before getting on his knees. 

He gave one long lick up the length of Craig’s erection before taking the head in his mouth. He sucked and licked the precum of the head, applying pressure to the slit. Craig’s hands were instantly in his hair, pulling and tugging. Jeff took as much of Craig in as he could, using his hand to work what he couldn’t fit. He moved in sync with his hand, running his tongue over Craig’s cock as he bobbed his head up and down. Jeff could still hear Craig’s muffled noises over him, but he was sure no one outside the room would. It’d been a while since Jeff had given a blowjob but if the stutter of Craig’s hips was any indication he was still good at it. 

He continued his rhythm until Craig was pulling him back up off the floor. Jeff was almost disappointed. He wondered what it would feel like to have Craig cum down his throat. Once he was standing again, Craig began undoing Jeff’s belt. It didn’t take long at all for Craig to have his hand wrapped around Jeff’s erection. It was really nice. Craig twisted his hand when he moved up and thumbed at the head. But Jeff was looking for something more than a handjob today. He glanced around the room. There was no way they were trying penetrative sex without lube but...ah! Lotion. Jeff could make that work. 

“How do you feel about me fucking your thighs?” Jeff asked, holding up the bottle of lotion. Craig quickly nodded his approval. Jeff helped Craig hop off the sink. “Turn around and get on your knees.” Jeff watched as Craig’s eyes glazed over and he did as he was told. Jeff readjusted his clothes as he followed Craig to the floor. His pants were bunched up around his knees and he’d thrown his sweater off. Jeff marveled at all the pale skin that was suddenly visible to him. He smeared lotion on the inside of Craig’s thighs and then on his own erection.

Jeff leaned over Craig’s body, oddly turned on by still being fully clothed while Craig was more than half naked. He slid his erection into Craig’s thighs and felt as Craig squeezed his legs together. Lotion could never replace lube but it did the trick. Jeff reached under Craig to jerk him off in time with his own thrusts. Jeff’s lips kissed and sucked their way up Craig’s shoulder and neck and to his ear. 

“And I thought I had it bad after one kiss,” Jeff groaned into his ear. “Now I’m really going to have trouble getting through the day without touching myself and thinking of you.” Craig let out something between a sob and a moan. His thighs shook as Jeff continued to move between them. “Fuck, baby, you feel so good. I can only imagine how good it would feel to be inside you.” Craig’s hands seemed to give out and he rested his forehead against the cold tile, arching up into Jeff. Jeff adjusted to the difference, following Craig and covering his whole body. “Do you like that thought?” Jeff continued. “Do you like that I picture you spread out on my bed? Eagerly awaiting me to come fuck you? Or in your office, fucking you over your desk?” Another sob. Craig began blindly thrusting. Jeff wasn’t sure if he was thrusting into his hand or back against his erection, but either way he tightened his grip on Craig’s cock. The precum was making it easier to move. “Shit, I’m close. Clench your thighs a little more for me, baby.”

Craig came hard over his hand, thrusting erratically and still managing to follow Jeff’s instructions. Jeff helped him ride out his orgasm. When he was spent and slumped against the floor, Jeff pulled back and placed his hands on Craig’s hips. He started thrusting quickly, savoring the feel of Craig’s smooth thighs and the view of Craig on his knees in front of him. It didn’t take long before he came as well. 

* * *

This was always the awkward part. They’d cleaned up and gotten dressed again. They sat on the bathroom floor, Craig with his back to the sink, Jeff leaning against the tub. This was the part where Jeff would lie and say he’d call them later. Now it was awkward because Jeff wasn’t sure how to ask when Craig would contact him again. 

With the lust and passion out of his system for the moment, Jeff was viewing their encounter through entirely different eyes. He was never so fucking talkative during sex before but he just couldn’t shut up this time. He could feel his cheeks burning thinking about all the things he’d said, the things he’d admitted to. 

“We should, um, get back out there,” Craig said. Jeff looked over at him. What was he supposed to say? “Call me? When will I see you again?” Jeff was so busy trying to figure that out that he missed Craig getting up and walking to the door. When he got out of his own head, Craig was already out of the room. Jeff jumped up from the floor and followed him into the apartment. 

It was jarring, being back out there. It took Jeff a moment to remember why he was there to begin with. He moved through the crowd of people, unsure how long he’d been gone for. He found a seat next to Annie and Abed. Jeff sat down while skillfully avoiding eye contact with Shirley. 

“Didn’t you have a tie?” Abed asked. 

“Uh? Oh, yeah,” Jeff said, looking down at his shirt. “I, uh, lost it?”

“How do you lose a tie?” Annie asked, confused. 

“I spilled something on it,” Jeff clarified. “So it’s as good as lost.” Annie gave him an odd look but let it go. Jeff watched the game of beer pong going on in front of him. There were hoops and elaborate structures made out of toilet rolls. This was obviously a Greendale version of beer pong. His eyes eventually found their way over to Craig on the other side of the room. Had he swiped his tie? That was a good sign, no? It meant Jeff wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to forget what had happened. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read/commented/kudod my work this year! I have written 138k words in 2020 which is three times as much in the last three years combined. And to think I hadn’t heard of Community before April/May!! I hope to keep up the writing in 2021 and continue entertains y’all with these two dorks. A million thanks for the support!


	3. For evermore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely thrilled about how this turned out but I needed closure on this fic and couldn't think of another plot line that would work in under 3k words.

Jeffrey kissed him. Well, now they’d done much more than kiss but it had all started with that. Craig had been walking around like he was dreaming since that mistletoe kiss (what a cliché on top of everything else!). Craig was sure that Jeffrey would act like nothing had happened during the post-Christmas party. And then Craig had been cornered in the bathroom with Jeffrey asking him out and...all the other stuff that made Craig’s head spin. It was a lot to take in in the span of four days!

“Hey, you still there?” 

Craig blinked and looked over at Leslie. “God, no, I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright.”

“I completely spaced out. What were you saying?” Craig asked. 

“Not much,” Leslie replied. “Tonight was fun. Never played that kind of beer pong.”

“Yeah,” Craig mumbled. “It was.” He looked out at the street in front. He tried to stay present in the conversation, but his mind kept wandering back to that bathroom.

“I can see why you love it here so much. Greendale is a...unique place. They’re all very fun and loyal,” Leslie continued. 

“Mmhmm,” Craig hummed. He could still feel the ghost of Jeffrey’s lips, Jeffrey’s hands, Jeffrey’s di-

“Okay,” Leslie said. She grabbed his arm lightly, bringing them to a stop. “What is up? You disappeared during the party and you’ve been in the clouds ever since.”

Craig opened his mouth to say something, anything. Nothing came out. Lying to Leslie seemed...odd. He’d never really had to do it. Well, other than the fact that she broke his heart every time she came into town, though he really didn’t hide it well at the end of the day. Regardless, Leslie was his oldest friend and he’d had plenty of relationships through the years and been in plenty of casual hook ups with multiple people. Why was he suddenly so worried about how it would look to tell Leslie that he’d fooled around with someone at this party?

“I mean, you don’t have to tell me,” Leslie said, wearing a frown. “I didn’t mean to push.”

“I-I…I don’t know what to say.”

Leslie shrugged, but he could tell this was an odd moment for them. “I’m around whenever you do want to talk.”

“Thank you,” Craig mumbled. 

They started walking down the street again. It was awkward, definitely. The glowy, surreal feeling he’d been on since Jeffrey walked into the bathroom had left. Now he was faced with all his different emotions. He was confused, frustrated, sad, and confused.

When they reached the next corner, Craig turned to go right but noticed Leslie didn’t follow him. He turned around to look at her. 

“I’m gonna call an Uber,” Leslie said. “Pretty tired after the party.”

“Oh, right,” Craig said. He knew she was expecting him to argue when her shoulders fell. “I’ll wait with you.”

“Thanks,” Leslie said, looking down at her phone. 

It hurt that he’d disappointed Leslie, but there was no point. They both knew he wasn’t inviting her up tonight. 

The Uber only took five minutes to get there, but the silence that stretched out between them kept suffocating the air around them. Leslie waved goodbye before getting in her Uber and Craig continued his long, miserable walk home. 

* * *

Craig turned over in bed to stare up at the ceiling. He couldn’t fall asleep, obviously. How was he supposed to sleep after what had happened? If it wasn’t for the way his body reacted to the memories, Craig may have been able to convince himself it was all a dream. 

_ “Now I’m really going to have trouble getting through the day without touching myself and thinking of you.” _

Craig shivered thinking of that statement. He could picture it in his head. Jeffrey laying down on his bed. No shirt and pajama pants pushed just low enough so he could touch himself. Craig remembered how it felt to have Jeffrey’s hand and mouth on his cock. 

He sat up suddenly. Craig scrambled for his phone on his night stand. Jeffrey was right next door, right beyond this wall! He opened up his contacts and then paused. What was he about to do? 

Craig threw his phone back on the night stand and burrowed under his covers. He was not giving Jeffrey a booty call. Not until he made up his mind about what he would do. 

* * *

There was a knock on his door. Craig dragged himself off the couch and walked to his door. It was probably Leslie. He’d been avoiding his phone all morning so he was prepared to have question after question thrown at him.

But when he opened the door, it wasn’t Leslie waiting to greet him. It was Jeffrey. Craig straightened up, looking Jeffrey over. He was in nothing fancy, jeans and a dark blue V-neck sweater, but he looked so damn good. Craig could feel his heart beat flutter like it always did when Jeffrey was around. After Craig recuperated from his surprise, he finally noticed Jeffrey wasn’t empty handed. 

“Hi,” he finally let out.

“Hey,” Jeffrey said. Craig noticed Jeffrey’s eyes weren’t on his face. He glanced down at himself and realized that in his low mood he’d never put on pants. Craig nervously started pulling at the hem of his sweater. 

“Sorry, I um, wasn’t expecting company,” Craig mumbled. 

“Do you always answer the door like this?” Jeffrey asked. 

“Of course not! I was just...distracted.” Craig crossed his arms over his chest. “So, um, what brings you here?” 

Jeffrey raised an eyebrow and held out the bouquet of red roses and wrapped present. “Take a guess.” 

“Roses for Christmas?” 

“Roses cause...I was thinking of you. This is for Christmas.” Jeffrey handed him the present. It had a pretty reindeer design on the paper. Craig knew he was blushing and glanced up at Jeffrey. Jeffrey, at his door with flowers and presents. 

“Come in,” Craig said suddenly. Jeffrey gave him a half smile, half smirk. Craig mentally shook himself. He needed to stop being so flustered around him. Jeffrey sat on his couch which wasn’t an all together new sight. They’d been neighbors for a few months now and Craig had come up with all types of out there reasons to get Jeffrey into his apartment. He still remembered the one successful night where they’d shared a bottle of wine and Jeffrey had actually dozed off on that very couch. 

Craig returned to the moment and took a seat next to Jeffrey. He held the present in his lamp. 

“You can open it, you know,” Jeffrey commented. He placed the roses on the coffee table in front of them and leaned back on the couch. Craig felt his face blush again. He took a deep breath and began ripping at the gift. He had no idea what to expect. Craig let out a small gasp as he saw the packaging. He quickly got rid of the rest of the paper and looked over the gift. It was a lighted mirror with a magnified mirror on one side and a regular on the other. It even had an adjustable stand. 

“Jeffrey, this is perfect!” Craig beamed. 

“Good, I was worried you had something similar.”

Craig looked up at him. Jeffrey sounded almost nervous. “It’s amazing. Thank you, really,” Craig said earnestly. Jeffrey smiled over at him. Craig wondered what would happen if he leaned over and kissed Jeffrey? Something he’d regret? Since when was anything to do with Jefrey something he’d regret? But there was a tightness in his chest that made Craig sit paralyzed with fear. 

He looked away from Jeffrey’s sweet smile and down at his present again. 

“I never got a chance to say thank you for your gift,” Jeffrey spoke up. 

“Uh? Oh, right, it was nothing,” Craig responded. 

“A facial roller and my favorite eye cream,” Jeffrey said. Jeffrey sat forward on the couch, inching closer to Craig. “I’d consider that a pretty great gift.” Craig nervously shifted in his seat. He placed his mirror next to the flowers on the coffee table. 

“I’m glad you liked it,” Craig replied. 

“Though I wonder if you were trying to tell me something?”

“Like what?” 

“Like maybe I had horrible bags under my eyes,” Jeffrey said.

Craig choked back a laugh. “Please Jeffrey. Your face is perfect.”

Jeffrey puffed up his chest. “Why thank you.” Craig rolled his eyes. “So, should we talk about the elephant?” Craig took in a sharp breath and looked away from Jeffrey. Just the reminder of what they had… “Have you thought about it?”

“Have I- yes! Of course I’ve thought about it,” Craig exclaimed. 

Jeffrey chuckled. “I meant about me asking you out.”

“Oh,” Craig blushed. “That.”

“I take it that means you don’t have an answer,” Jeffrey said. 

“It’s...I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

There was a moment of silence. Craig kept his gaze down at his hands. He was worried about what Jeffrey’s expression would be. Either genuine disappointment or thinly veiled humor would break his heart a little more. 

“Right, well, I’ll give you some time then,” Jeffrey said. “And Craig?” Craig looked up at him. Jeffrey leaned over and kissed him, soft and slow. “I’ve been thinking about it too,” Jeff said. And then he left Craig there with his jumbled thoughts. He reached for his phone. There was no way he could do this alone anymore. 

* * *

“Okay,” Leslie said, putting her wine glass down. “So, you’re telling me you’ve had a crush on Jeffrey for a while now. No surprise there, by the way. You hooked up at Annie’s party after he told you he wanted a serious relationship, or at least try dating. And this was all after he randomly gave you a kiss a few days ago. Have I missed anything?”

“I stole his tie,” Craig mumbled. 

“Of course you did,” Leslie said. “Alright, so tell me what the problem is?” 

“The problem!” Craig exclaimed. “Is that this is all some game!” 

“Like someone dared him to fuck you in the bathroom,” Leslie deadpanned. 

“No! Yes? I don’t know,” Craig said. “But it’s a bad sign that it happened now, isn't it?”

Leslie sighed. “With the preamble that he seems like an asshole, I don’t think he’d stoop so low as to do this for a dare. He seems like a half decent guy to his friends.”

“But it’s like...a contest, you know? Now that I wasn’t fawning over him-”

“Oh, you were definitely fawning at the mall last week,” Leslie pointed out. 

“He kissed me right after he saw you leave!” 

“So he’s emotionally stunted! Who isn’t? If you’re waiting for someone to come along who’s perfectly mature, you’ll be waiting for a while,” Leslie said. 

“You’re in tune with your emotions,” Craig commented. He took another deep drink from his glass of wine and looked back at Leslie. Her face was suddenly hard. 

“Craig,” she started, shaking his head. “We hook up every time I’m in town because we like to pretend for a few days that we could be...something, instead of just the idea of something. In what book does that spell healthy?” Craig stared down at his wine glass, swirling the clear liquid around a few times. Leslie rested her hand on his shoulder. “I’ve known you for years, which is why I knew something was different the second I saw you.” 

Craig glanced back up at her. “My mascara game has improved?” Craig joked. 

Leslie’s lips quirked up before getting serious again. “You’re not in love with me anymore.”

“Leslie-”

“No, it’s not a self-pity thing,” she said. “I know you care about me and that we’ll always be close friends.” Her thumb rubbed against Craig’s shoulder absentmindedly. “But you’re not gonna break down in tears when I leave after New Year’s.” 

Craig really thought about. He’d miss her, of course. It was so easy to be around Leslie. She knew him and accepted him. And something about knowing someone for so long brought Craig comfort. But...she wasn’t wrong. Everything had been easier this time around. Every time Leslie left his side, there wasn’t that gut wrenching reminder that she’d soon be gone again. 

“I still love you,” Craig choked out, because of course he was crying. 

“I know you do, you big softy,” Leslie said. “But I don’t think I’m the one you imagine having that perfect life with on days when you’re down.” 

Craig rubbed at his eyes. “No, you’re not. I’m sorry.” Craig felt the need to add. 

Leslie waved him off but reached over to the coffee table and downed half her glass. “My own fault for not ‘putting a ring on it’, to quote the great Beyonce.” Craig chuckled. “Anyway! Enough about me, what about you? I still don’t see the problem. You two should be having gratuitous sex next door in the honeymoon phase. Why are you having a crisis with me instead?”

“Because!” Craig started. He shifted on the couch to face Leslie fully. “I’ve been daydreaming about Jeffrey Winger confessing his undying love for me for at least two years now. And always with the understanding that it would never possibly happen.” 

“Yet, it did. Your dream is literally coming true!”

“Yes, now imagine how heartbreaking it will be when it all comes crashing down,” Craig exclaimed. 

“Wow, that is- Craig, bab-” Leslie coughed to cover up the nickname. “Craig, seriously, you can’t say no to this because of the small possibility of a bad ending.”

“Why not? What if once the holidays are over and we go back to Greendale-”

“It will hurt, but you will heal,” Leslie said. 

Craig scoffed. 

“You picked yourself up after Stephen! You’ll do the same again.”

Craig crossed his hands over his chest and sunk further down the couch. “Stephen feels like forever ago.” 

“Yeah, he does. But trust me, you were an absolute wreck. Just as hurt as you’re afraid of being now. But here you are, happy and moved on and Stephen who?” 

Craig stared off into space. Leslie had good points. Stephen had truly and thoroughly broken his heart. He’d remembered thinking he’d never be able to love anyone, ever again. Looking back on it now, the pain was just a dull memory. 

“For someone that doesn’t like Jeffrey, you sure are doing a good job of pushing me into his arms.” 

Leslie scoffed. “My own feelings aside, I want you to be happy. And if he’s what you want, I’ll be damned if you stop yourself from getting him.”

“You really are an amazing friend,” Craig said. 

“In all the platonic sense, from now on,” Leslie commented. Craig could hear and see the self deprecating jokes cover up her tense body. If he hadn’t seen the signs for so many years, Craig would still have trouble believing that anyone was ever sad to see him go. “Now, I am going to go. You, call him! Or go knock on his door.” 

Craig could feel the anxiety creeping up from the center of his chest to strangle his voice and nerve. The mere thought of telling Jeffrey yes....or of Jeffrey having asked the question at all. 

“I swear to god Craig, if you haven’t said something by tomorrow,” Leslie warned. She got up and grabbed her bag. Craig followed her out to the hallway. 

“I will,” Craig said. “I’ll try.” Leslie rolled her eyes. 

“You’re impossible,” she grumbled. Craig smiled and brought her into a big hug. He felt safe with her and took all the comfort he could get in a few seconds before she left and Craig had to...follow his heart? Disney movies never made this look like the hard part. Leslie pulled back first. 

“Oh.” 

Craig and Leslie turned to look down the hall. There was Jeffrey, in grey sweatpants and black tank top looking like someone had kicked a puppy in front of him. 

“Jeffrey,” Craig said. He stood frozen for two seconds too long. Leslie had to pull his hands from around her waist and step back. 

“Look, I was just leaving,” Leslie said. 

Craig watched Jeffrey’s hurt expression turn into the famous, indifferent scowl. He threw his hands up in the air. “Don’t let me interrupt.”

“Jeffrey, it’s not like that,” Craig said, finally moving towards him. No, no, no. His heart was racing in his chest and his hands were trembling. 

“You know what, it’s none of my business,” Jeffrey said. 

“But-”

“You can go and fuck your hot model friend all you want,” Jeffrey bit out. 

“Nothing happened, asshole,” Leslie said from behind Craig. 

Jeffrey scoffed. “I don’t need an explanation.” He stepped back into his apartment and grabbed his door. 

“Jeffrey, really! We didn’t- we’re friends. We-”

“Are you going to tell me that the other morning when she walked out of your apartment- what? You were just friends then too?”

“Oh for crying out loud,” Leslie said. She walked up next to Craig. “Yes, we fucked the other day. But he hasn’t touched me since your kiss that morning. He was freaking out about you making a move on him and he needed a friend. We talked, we drank some wine, we were hugging goodbye. That’s it. That’s all that happened. Don’t make it more than what it is and make me regret telling Craig to go for it with you.”

Craig looked back and forth between Leslie and Jeffrey. Neither of them said a word, and Craig didn’t want to be the one to interrupt their staredown. Then Jeffrey looked over at Craig directly. His face was still ice cold and Craig noticed he was holding on to the door very tightly. 

“That’s all that happened,” Jeffrey asked him. 

“Yes, I swear,” Craig said. Jeffrey took in a deep breath and loosened his grip on the door. 

“Okay,” Jeffrey said. 

“Jesus,” Leslie mumbled. “I’ll leave you two to talk it out then.” Leslie placed a comforting hand on Craig’s shoulder. Though Jeffrey’s hard stare negated any comforting vibes. Craig tried his best to give Leslie a reassuring smile before turning back to Jeffrey. Craig heard Leslie close the door to his apartment behind him. 

They both stood there in the hallway for a few, long minutes. Craig was trying to get his heart under control. He’d almost feared losing Jeffrey before fully having him. 

“Is she the reason?” Jeffrey finally asked. 

“What?” 

“Is she the reason you haven’t said yes?” Jeffrey asked again. 

“Oh,” Craig said. He took two small steps towards Jeffrey. Craig could feel his need to soothe and comfort Jeffrey overcome him, but he didn’t know if his touch would be welcome at the moment. “I-No, it’s not that. I’ve just...been scared.” Craig admitted. 

“Of being with me?”

“Of being with you and then having you change your mind,” Craig said. He stared down at the floor.

“Craig, that’s-”

“Could very likely happen!” Craig burst out. There were tears in his eyes and his voice was shaky, but he needed Jeffrey to understand what was happening in his mind. “I cry when I get emotional. I’m disorganized and bad at administrative stuff. I have horrible dry mouth. I let laundry pile up for weeks on end. I-”

“Craig, what are you doing?” 

“I am telling you all the reasons why you shouldn’t be with me!” Craig rubbed at the tears on his face. 

“That’s...you realize we both have mile long lists for why we’re bad people right? I mean, I’m petty and superficial, but I’m not about to dump you because you have dry mouth.” 

Craig sniffled. “You won’t?”

“No,” Jeffrey answered. “I’ll just make sure to have a travel sized toothbrush and toothpaste on me at all times. And maybe some mints too.”

Craig let out a laugh. Jeffrey smiled down at him. “You really want to do this?”

Jeffrey rolled his eyes. “I damn sure want to try,” he said. 

Craig didn’t let himself hesitate anymore. For the second time in four years, Craig gave in to the urge to kiss Jeffrey Winger. He wrapped his arms around his neck and leaned up on his tiptoes. Jeffrey kissed him back immediately. His strong arms wrapped around Craig’s waist, pressing their bodies together. Kissing Jeffrey was better than he remembered, if that was anyway possible. 

Eventually, they pulled back to catch their breath. Jeffrey chuckled. “What?” Craig asked.

“Britta is gonna have a field day with the fact that _ I _ was the one without commitment issues this time,” Jeffrey said. 

“You’re gonna tell the group?” Craig asked, his heart increasing in tempo again. 

“If that’s alright with you? Shirley already knows but if you want to keep it-”

“No, no keeping quiet!” Craig interjected. “I want everyone to know Jeffrey Winger is taken.” 

Jeffrey smirked. “I’m all yours, baby.” 

Craig kissed him again. He loved the way Jeffrey called him that. 


End file.
